Sugar Babies, Sexual Assault Claims, Takedown Demands, and Microaggressions
All together, in a Minnesota Court of Appeals decision handed down today.
Criminal Justice
The Officer Who Killed Tamir Rice Found a Police Chief Willing to Hire Him
It's hard to get rid of bad cops, especially when there are leaders willing to excuse deadly incompetence as an innocent mistake.
Authenticity and Truth in the #MeToo Era
You'll never know for sure what's in someone else's heart. But forgiveness can be as much about what we owe ourselves as what someone else deserves.
Politico Symposium on Kavanaugh's Confirmation
I have a contribution in it, along with a variety of prominent legal scholars and commentators.
Quick -- Do You Remember the Text of Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment?
"Ginsburg Forgets 14th Amendment, Audience Has To Give Her Constitution," says a Daily Wire headline -- but the story doesn't mention this was section 2,
Should Law Professors Sign Letters on Public Issues if They Don't Fully Agree with the Letters?
I don't sign such letters unless I fully agree with every assertion made.
A Video Showing Deputies Laughing While a Prisoner Overdoses Leads to Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Rather than seeking medical attention for an inmate, 3 sheriff's deputies made jokes at his expense.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Butter grades, toxic coal ash, and Stairway to Heaven.
Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke Convicted of Second-Degree Murder for Killing Laquan McDonald
Also found guilty of 16 counts of aggravated battery, one for each bullet he fired.
Brett Kavanaugh's Emotions Don't Disqualify Him, but His Inflammatory and Evasive Strategy May Be Another Matter
While the Supreme Court nominee's anger and frustration last week were understandable, his tactics were troubling.
The Liberal American Constitution Society Is Named After the Text …
... and the conservative Federalist Society is named after legislative history.
Cleveland Judge Says He'll Stop Sending People to Jail After 6 Inmates Die in 4 Months
Headlines like this are appallingly common.
Judge Rules Against Woman Mauled by Police Dog Because She Wasn't the Intended Target
Mara Mancini was seven months pregnant when she was attacked by a police dog chasing a suspect on foot.
Netflix Jail Documentary Misses the Big Question: Why Is This Happening?
First and Last ignores the absurdity that many of its subjects are imprisoned, not to mention Gwinnett County Jail's own troubled record.
A Short Response to Eugene's "Judicial Temperament" Post
Further thoughts on why Kavanaugh's testimony is disqualifying.
Black Man Cuffed on His Own Property While Moving Into New Home
"I'm being handcuffed right here on my own damn property," Karle Robinson said while watching body camera footage of the incident.
Texas Students Will Now Learn How To Survive a Police Stop
A new class about what to expect at a traffic stop is being mandated for all high school students.
Police Send Helicopter to Disperse Drunk College Students
When the ground strategy failed, police turned to the air.
'Lie Detectors' Do Not Detect Lies
A polygraph test does not prove Christine Blasey Ford is telling the truth-or anything else.
Judge Kavanaugh, Judicial Temperament, and the "Circus"
Kavanaugh was correct: it was a circus. But he was the one who made it a circus - and for that (apart from anything that he may or may not have done in 1982) he should not be confirmed.
Fight Fizzles Before Police Arrive; Cops Start Tasing and Arresting People Anyway
Cops were greeted by a calm scene, but the situation quickly erupted into chaos.
Swetnick Shifts Story About Kavanaugh at Rape Parties as Texts and Brawls Cast Doubt on the Judge's Own Claims: Reason Roundup
Plus: more transparency among California cops and less transparency among Instagram "influencers."
No, We're Not on the Brink of Civil War. But the Reasons Why We're Not Are Far From Entirely Reassuring.
Contrary to the fears of some pundits, the U.S. is not on the brink of civil war. But the explanation for that is far from entirely reassuring.
Kanye West Doesn't Want to Bring Back Slavery. He's Trying to Abolish It for Good.
The 13th Amendment outlaws slavery, but not for prison inmates.
California Reforms Murder Laws to Require Defendants to Actually Play a Role in the Killing
Hundreds may see their sentences overturned or shortened.
The Case for Kavanaugh
How "judicial philosophy" figures into the decision to support or oppose a nominee.
Judge Willett and Justice Sotomayor Attack Qualified Immunity for Cops
A libertarian-leaning federal judge and a liberal Supreme Court justice both make the case against qualified immunity.
This Florida Ballot Measure Is the Only Shot at Relief for Inmates Serving Draconian Sentences
Florida has rolled back some of its worst mandatory minimum laws, but the inmates sentenced under them have no relief.
Californians Will Finally Get Access to Records About Police Misconduct
Gov. Jerry Brown signs bills dramatically increasing transparency about law enforcement behavior.
Brett Kavanaugh's Illegal Beer Consumption Highlights the Perversity of Drinking Ages
The Supreme Court nominee's teenaged tippling was typical, although the law pretends otherwise.
Why Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings Should be Treated as Job Interviews, not Criminal Trials
One of the points at issue in the debate over the sexual assault accusations against Brett Kavanaugh is whether the standards of proof used by the Senate should be those appropriate to a criminal trial or those of a job interview. The latter is the superior approach.
Jeff Flake and the Hated—Yet Vital—Libertarian Center
Temperamental centrism and case-by-case decision-making, on Brett Kavanaugh and other issues, irritates nearly everyone-and is necessary.
Maryland Misdemeanor Law
What Maryland calls "misdemeanors" is very different from what other states do.
Politico Symposium on the Ford-Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Accusation Hearing
The symposium includes contributions by various legal commentators, including Bruce Ackerman, Mari Matsuda, Deborah Rhode, and myself.
MAGA Hat and Colin Kaepernick Shirt Make Kanye West a One-Man Bridge Across Our Political Chasm
Politics is not solely red and blue. Or in this case, red and white.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Interviewing prisoners, Auer deference in criminal cases, and Rand Paul's neighbor.
The American Bar Association's Lack of Transparency
The ABA president called for a delay in voting on Kavanaugh's nomination, but the ABA refuses to provide any details about this decision
The Worst Defenses for Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Ford
If you want to show your support for the accused or the accuser, stay away from these.
Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Kavanaugh for Supreme Court, With a Twist
Sen. Lindsey Graham had the quote of the day: "I think I know what happened."
Beer, Courage, and Vomit: Major Themes of the Ford-Kavanaugh Hearing
An index of recurring topics
